CALGARY, AB: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces the launch of a national campaign urging the federal government not to reintroduce Bill C-63, the proposed Online Harms Act, or any substantially similar legislation that would undermine freedom of expression, due process, and the rule of law in Canada. To help Canadians take action, the Justice Centre has created an online tool with a ready-to-send letter that goes directly to the Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister.
Public reporting suggests the federal government plans to revive the failed Online Harms Act, claiming it is needed to protect children and address criminal activity online. However, Canada already has extensive Criminal Code provisions that address serious online harms, including child sexual exploitation, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, criminal harassment, terrorism, and incitement to violence.
Bill C-63 goes far beyond targeting criminal conduct.
The Online Harms Act would dramatically expand government censorship powers, punish lawful expression online, and authorize preemptive restrictions on individual liberty. In doing so, it would represent a fundamental departure from Canada’s long-standing commitment to freedom of expression and due process.
Under Bill C-63, lawful speech could be subject to investigation, penalties, or removal based on vague and subjective standards. Individuals could face severe consequences not for committing crimes, but for expressing opinions that are later deemed unacceptable.
The bill would establish a new Digital Safety Commission with sweeping authority to compel online platforms to remove lawful content and to impose significant penalties on platforms that fail to comply with government directives.
Bill C-63 would also dramatically expand the mandate of the Canadian Human Rights Commission by empowering it to police non-criminal expression. The legislation would permit anonymous complaints, eliminate the right of respondents to face their accusers, and allow penalties to be imposed without proof of actual harm or identifiable victims, eroding basic principles of procedural fairness.
The bill would further empower federal regulators and cabinet ministers to oversee and control online expression through regulatory mechanisms that bypass meaningful parliamentary debate and public scrutiny.
The Justice Centre encourages Canadians to visit our website to learn more about the campaign and to take action in defence of freedom of expression in Canada.
